38 



why any nurseryman in the State cannot have his place examined by 

 competent experts, and be placed in a position to guarantee his stock 

 free from dangerous insect pests. This end is best obtained by fumiga- 

 tion ; and, as previously indicated, several of our Massachusetts nursery- 

 men are now putting on the market nothing but fumigated stock. 



The Outcome. 



While the individual loss in many cases has been severe, the writer 

 believes, with J. 11. Hale of Connecticut, that the outcome of the occur- 

 rence of the San Jose scale in the east will be for the public good, and 

 that the classes who have lost most heavily will ultimately reap the 

 most benefit. The public has been aroused to the importance of insect 

 damages. State legislation against injurious insects has been enacted. 

 Facilities have been provided whereby the farmer may have to a 

 greater degree than ever before the benefit of expert advice and assist- 

 ance. Best of all is the awakening of interest in the care of trees. Xo 

 longer is a fruit tree a machine or a callous organism, to be well treated 

 or abused, as circumstances dictate. The farmer now watches his trees 

 through critical eyes. He is learning of their life, their needs and their 

 possibilities He is learning the lesson that he should have learned be- 

 fore, — that in tree culture constant attention and thoroughness are the 

 prime requisites of success, and that any other course will ultimately 

 result in failure. 



